Seat Leon common problems by mileage
What UK MOT testers flag on the Seat Leon at each age and mileage, compared with all cars.
In 185,839 UK MOT tests of the Seat Leon in 2023, the problem that most sets it apart from other cars is shock absorbers (light misting of oil): recorded on 16% of tests of 2017–2019 cars at 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km), 14× the rate for all cars of that age and mileage. Other stand-out issues: coil spring (fractured or broken) (13×); shock absorbers (a serious fluid leak) (5.4×); suspension arm (corroded but not seriously weakened) (4.3×). The most common reasons a Seat Leon fails its MOT are tyres (tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm); coil spring (fractured or broken); brake pads (less than 1.5 mm thick).
Last updated: · Source: DVSA anonymised MOT data 2023
What stands out on the Seat Leon
Parts that MOT testers flag clearly more often on the Seat Leon than on all cars of the same age at the same mileage (at least 1.5× the rate and 3% of tests).
| Issue | Type | First used | Mileage | Share of tests | All cars this age | Ratio | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil | Advisory | 2017–2019 | 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) | 16% | 1.1% | 14× | 24,265 |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | MOT fail | 2019–2021 | 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km) | 3.8% | 0.3% | 13× | 5,498 |
| Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak | MOT fail | 2017–2019 | 80k–100k mi (129k–161k km) | 3.8% | 0.7% | 5.4× | 2,364 |
| Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened | Advisory | 2010–2012 | 160k+ mi (257k+ km) | 6.4% | 1.5% | 4.3× | 1,478 |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | MOT fail | 2008–2010 | 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km) | 5.2% | 1.1% | 4.7× | 594 |
| Linkage ball joints: ball joint has slight play | Advisory | 2010–2012 | 100k–120k mi (161k–193k km) | 7.1% | 2.6% | 2.7× | 5,128 |
| Tyres (condition): slightly damaged/cracking or perishing | Advisory | 2020–2022 | 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km) | 7.8% | 2.6% | 3× | 1,472 |
| Service brake performance: binding but not excessively | Advisory | 2012–2014 | 100k–120k mi (161k–193k km) | 3.8% | 1.6% | 2.4× | 7,106 |
Seat Leon by mileage (2018–2020 cars)
The most-tested first-use years. For each mileage band: how many MOT tests, the most common item, and the item that stands out most against other cars.
| Mileage | Tests | Most common | Stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0k–20k mi (0k–32k km) | 8,994 | Tyres (condition): slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (12%) | Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil (6%, 12×) |
| 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) | 26,841 | Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil (14%) | Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil (14%, 13×) |
| 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km) | 13,146 | Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil (18%) | Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil (18%, 10×) |
| 60k–80k mi (97k–129k km) | 3,766 | Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil (20%) | Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil (20%, 8.6×) |
| 80k–100k mi (129k–161k km) | 1,165 | Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil (21%) | Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil (21%, 7.7×) |
| 100k–120k mi (161k–193k km) | 420 | Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil (23%) | Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil (23%, 7.6×) |
Seat Leon by first-use year
| First used | Tests | Biggest stand-out issue |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 649 | Coil spring: corroded at 140k–160k mi (225k–257k km) (2×) |
| 2003 | 1,355 | Exhaust system: has a minor leak of exhaust gases at 160k+ mi (257k+ km) (1.8×) |
| 2004 | 1,727 | Exhaust system: has a minor leak of exhaust gases at 160k+ mi (257k+ km) (2×) |
| 2005 | 2,046 | Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt at 80k–100k mi (129k–161k km) (2.3×) |
| 2006 | 3,531 | Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt at 60k–80k mi (97k–129k km) (2.7×) |
| 2007 | 5,280 | Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt at 60k–80k mi (97k–129k km) (2.5×) |
| 2008 | 5,401 | Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened at 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km) (2.4×) |
| 2009 | 5,469 | Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt at 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km) (4.7×) |
| 2010 | 6,320 | Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened at 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km) (3.6×) |
| 2011 | 6,992 | Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened at 160k+ mi (257k+ km) (4.3×) |
| 2012 | 9,249 | Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil at 80k–100k mi (129k–161k km) (4.3×) |
| 2013 | 11,768 | Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil at 80k–100k mi (129k–161k km) (5.1×) |
| 2014 | 18,959 | Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil at 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) (6.7×) |
| 2015 | 17,299 | Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil at 0k–20k mi (0k–32k km) (8.2×) |
| 2016 | 15,956 | Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil at 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) (11×) |
| 2017 | 18,272 | Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil at 0k–20k mi (0k–32k km) (16×) |
| 2018 | 21,198 | Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil at 0k–20k mi (0k–32k km) (16×) |
| 2019 | 19,748 | Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil at 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) (13×) |
| 2020 | 13,819 | Coil spring: fractured or broken at 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km) (13×) |
| 2021 | 392 | Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil at 60k–80k mi (97k–129k km) (9.6×) |
How these numbers are made
From the DVSA anonymised MOT data for 2023: every normal MOT test of a car in Great Britain, with its mileage and every advisory and failure item. For each first-use year (pooled with the years either side) and 20,000-mile band we count the share of tests where a part was recorded, and compare it with the same share for every car of that age at that mileage. A cell is shown only with 300 or more tests. Advisories are tester notes, not failures. Figures describe UK-market cars; engines and equipment can differ in other countries.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (DVSA anonymised MOT data, 2023).
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the Seat Leon?
In 185,839 UK MOT tests of the Seat Leon in 2023, the problem that most sets it apart from other cars is shock absorbers (light misting of oil): recorded on 16% of tests of 2017–2019 cars at 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km), 14× the rate for all cars of that age and mileage. Other stand-out issues: coil spring (fractured or broken) (13×); shock absorbers (a serious fluid leak) (5.4×); suspension arm (corroded but not seriously weakened) (4.3×). The most common reasons a Seat Leon fails its MOT are tyres (tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm); coil spring (fractured or broken); brake pads (less than 1.5 mm thick).
Why do Seat Leons fail the MOT?
Across 185,839 MOT tests in 2023, the most common failure items on the Seat Leon were tyres (tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm) (2.9% of tests); coil spring (fractured or broken) (4.1% of tests); brake pads (less than 1.5 mm thick) (2.8% of tests).
At what mileage do Seat Leon problems start?
The clearest Seat Leon-specific issue, shock absorbers (light misting of oil), peaks against other cars at 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) on 2017–2019 cars (16% of tests vs 1.1% for all cars that age).
Where does this Seat Leon data come from?
From the UK government's anonymised MOT test data (DVSA, 2023, Open Government Licence v3.0): 185,839 tests of the Seat Leon. VinSnap shows the same numbers for your own car's age and mileage in the app.